Circular knitting machines



Dec. 18, 1962 F. E. DEANS 3,

CIRCULAR KNITTING MACHINES Filed Marbh 7, 1960 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 o o o o o a l4 1 I W ll FI S- In venfor FEEDER/6K EDWARD DEA N5 5) Afro/nay:

F. E. DEANS CIRCULAR KNITTING MACHINES 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 IN VENTOR FREDERICK EDWARD Dill/V5 BY J ATTORNEYS Dec. 18, 1962 Filed March 7, 1960 3,063,673 KIRCULAR KNITTING MACHINES Frederick Edward Deans, Leicester, England, assignor to The Bentley Engineering Company Limited, Leicester,

England Filed Mar. 7, 1969, Ser. No. 13,4334 Claims priority, application Great Britain Mar. 9, 1959 2 Claims. (Cl. 66l4) This invention is for improvements in or relating to circular knitting machines and has for one of its objects to provide in a relatively simple manner, means whereby effective control of the actuation of the needles may be secured in circumstances in which the space normally available for accommodation of the needle actuating mechanism is insufficient.

In circular knitting machines having a plurality of knitting actuations spaced about the cylinder axis and particularly hosiery knitting machines having more than two knitting stations, the control of the needles by cams introduces diiiiculties in cases where a needle circle of small diameter is required, because the limited circumference of the needle cylinder restricts the room for accommodation of the several cam systems and because of the increased slope required for raising and lowering cams to effect needle movements within given sectors of the needle circle. Such increased slope tends to exceed values which are generally considered to be practical limits for smooth and efiective cam action without imposing excessive strain or wear on the cams or butts, or applying unduly sharp impulses on the needles. Consequently with multi-fee-d hosiery knitting machines it has previously been considered impracticable to construct orthodox machines to operate with knitting circle diameters within a range of low diameters heretofore employed in single feed machines. The invention enables multi-feed machines to be constructed for satisfactory operation with knitting circles in such low range of diameters, and also makes practicable the provision of a greater number of feed points in larger machines.

According to the invention there is provided a circular knitting machine having a needle cylinder which is stepped in external diameter so as to have a smaller diameter at the region of the needle circle than at the region of the cam box and which has its tricks continued uninterruptedly along adjoining portions of ditterent external diameter. Associated with such a cylinder there are conveniently provided needles or needle sliders having stem portions which have their outer edges offset outwardly as far as the outer diameter of the larger portion of the cylinder in the region of the cam box. The operating butts of such portions projects from their outwardly oifset edges to engage in the tracks formed by the cams in the cam box. Thus with such construction knitting can be effected by needles arranged in a relative small needle circle with their actuation effected by cams positioned in a larger circle which provides the requisite space for accommodation of the cams and at the same time permits the cam slopes of raising and lowering cams to be kept within reasonable practical limits.

Conveniently the cylinder tricks extend with their bottoms parallel to the cylinder axis from the needle end of the cylinder to beyond the needle cams in the cam box so that at the cylinder end portion having the smaller diameter they are of normal depth while at the needle cam region where the cylinder is of larger diameter they are deeper than normal as measured from the cylinder periphery. To operate in such tricks the stem portions of the needles or sliders are desirably made wider than normal by having an outwardly stepped outer edge and a continuous unstepped inner edge. Such widened stem 3,968,573 Patented Dec. 18, 1952 portions just fill the deeper portions of the tricks which preferably extend only sufficiently far from the needle end of the cylinder to accommodate the required range of needle movement. Desirably the outward stepping of the cylinder diameter occurs between the needle end of the cylinder and the adjacent boundary of the cam box and at a position just sufficiently spaced from the cam box to provide that over the required range of needle movement the said widened stem portions remain fully contained in the deeper portion of the tricks.

In applying the invention to a needle cylinder which is adapted to receive jacks and/or other instruments for needle selection the deeper portions of the tricks may have their bottom walls stepped outwardly between the region of the needle cams and the region at which such jacks and/ or other instruments are received. Thus at the narrow part of the cylinder diameter near the needle circle the normal trick depth is present, while along part of the larger diameter portion the trick depth is increased by the amount of the outward stepping of the cylinder periphery, and at a further part of the larger diameter portion the trick depth is reduced to normal depth from the cylinder periphery. This will enable standard jacks, bits or similar instruments suited to a cylinder of the larger diameter to be employed for acting on the ends of the needle stems or sliders to control needle movements selectively for patterning or other purposes.

The invention may be applied both to single cylinder machines and to machines of the opposed needle cylinder type. A preferred manner of applying the invention to a machine of the latter type is illustrated in the accompanying drawings by way of example and will now be described with reference to the drawings in which:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of a complete circular knitting machine of the opposed needle cylinder type; and

FIGURE 2 is a view in central cross-section showing the assembly of needle cylinders on a larger scale, part of the bottom cylinder being broken through.

The machine shown in FIGURE 1 is intended for knitting hose and is in the main of known construction comprising a pillarlike supporting frame Mi carrying orthodox control and operating mechanisms and supporting at its upper part a cylinder bed plate ll on which is rotatably mounted a bottom needle cylinder 12. An opposed coaxial top needle cylinder 1?; depends from a top plate 14 being rotatably supported thereby, the top plate being carried on spaced pillars, one of which is shown at 15, upstanding from the bed plate 11. Other parts of the machine clearly seen in FIGURE 1 comprise a main control drum 16, take down mechanism 17, fabric receiving box 13, yarn supply brackets 19, other brackets 20 and 21 carrying yarn guides 12-9 and 121, detectors 122 and tensioners 123, and starting and stopping lever mechanism indicated generally at 22.

Supported by the top plate 14 is a top cam box 23 containing cams for operating sliders in the top cylinder 13. A bottom cam box 24 associated with the bottom cylinder 12 contains needle operating cams and, together with a jack cam box 25, is supported directly by the bottom cylinder and held in the correct setting as well as being restrained from rotation by straps, one of which is shown at 26, extending from the pillars 15. The lower part of cylinder 12 is extended below the jack cam box 25 to accommodate patterning instruments which are operated selectively in known manner by means of pattern drums 27 and associated mechanism. Groups of operating rods are shown at 28 and 29 for transmitting movements to actuate feeders, bolt carns, etc. related to three feeding stations spaced apart around the machine.

The cam box assemblies are shown in greater detail in FIG. 2 but it is suficient for an understanding of the present invention to note that the top cam 'box 23 is spacers a mounted on a cam boX plate 3t) secured to a carrier ring 31 which in turn is bolted to the top plate 14; and that cam boxes 24 and 25 are mounted on a common carrier ring 32 which in turn is supported on a circumferential flange 33 on the bottom cylinder 12. Also conventional bearing mountings 124 and 125 for the top and bottom cylinders 13 and 12 are shown, the top cylinder being driven through gears 12'] and 128 by a vertical shaft 126 coupled by gears 129 and 13%) to the bottom cylinder 12 and its driving bevel gear 131. The bottom cylinder is fitted with internal sinkers 34.

In FIG. 2 the cross section is taken through diametrically opposite tricks 35 and 36 of the cylinders 12 and 13 the tricks on the right ofthe figure being shown empty for the sake of clearness. In the tricks shown on the left, the top cylinder has a needle slider TS and a bit SB and the bottom cylinder-has a bottom slider BS engaged with a double ended needle N, a long bit LB, a jack I and a selector S.

Considering now the bottom cylinder 12 it will be seen that it has a small outside diameter in the region of the needle circle as indicated at37 whereat the tricks are of *normaldepth and is stepped outwardly at 38 to a larger diameter which is continued at the same dimension to the bottom of the cylinder (except for the projecting flange 32). At the outward step 38 of the cylinder diameter the trick bottoms continue unvaried and the tricks consequently have their depth increased by the amount of the outward stepping. The increased depth continues to just below the cam box24 at which position the bottoms of the tricks are offset outwardly as indicated at 39to bring the depth of the tricks back to normal. The tricks continue at this depth to their'ends near the bottom of the cylinder 12.

The bottom sliders BS each have their needle receiving end portions 49 of normal width to correspond to the normal or shallower trick depth but have their outer edges stepped outwardly at 41 to bring their stems to a width equal to the increased trick depth occurring at 3.8, such increased width continuing to the bottoms of the sliders. It is convenient for the stepping in width'to occur alongside an upper operating butt 42 on the slider which also has a lower butt 43. The long bits LB, jacks I and selectors S, on the other hand are of normal width throughout, so orthodox standard parts can be used for these items. The positions of the cylinder step 33, the slider step 41 and the outward ofisetting of the. trick bottoms are such that over the required range of needle and slider movement the widened stem portions of the sliders BS remain fully contained in the deeper portion of the tricks.

In the case of the top cylinder 13 a similar outward stepping of outside diameter occurs at 44 without any change in position of the trick bottom so that the tricks 36 are of normal depth at the smaller cylinder diameter in the region of the needle circle and of a greater depth above the step 44-, their depth being increased by the amount of outward stepping of the cylinder diameter. The increased depth is in this case continued to the top ends of the tricks, at'which position the cylinder diameter is stepped inwardly as shown at 50 to approximate the same diameter as at "the needle endfor convenience in mounting it on a support of standard size. The top sliders T are correspondingly stepped outwardly in width at 45, so that, while their needle receiving ends 46 are of normal width, their stems 47 above the steps 45 are of greater width corresponding to the depth of the'deeper parts of the tricks. The positions of thesteps 44- and 4-5 is such that the .wider stern portions 47 always remainiin the deeper parts of the tricks throughout the'requiredrange of needle and slider movement. The top sliders TS have butts 48 and 49 corresponding to the butts 42 and 43.

The bits SB above the top cylinder sliders TS are also of a greater than normal width corresponding to the depth of the deeper parts of the tricks 36.

The outward stepping of the cylinder diameters and slider widths as above described enables knitting to be performed on a needle circle of small diameter whilst the actuation of the needles is effected by cams operating on butts in a cam track of substantially larger diameter and consequently increased circumference. The advantages hereinbefore referred to are thereby obtained making it possible to operate a multi-feed machine satisfactorily with a knitting circle of smaller diameter than has heretofore been considered the lowest practicable size, or alternatively to increase the number of feeding stations on a larger machine.

In applying'the invention to a single cylinder knitting machine, it is obvious that the arrangement of the bottom cylinder 12 herein shown, or that of the top cylinder 13 in inverted attitude, could be used, with needle stems used in place of sliders and having the same outward stepping on their width.

What I claim is:

1. In a circular knitting machine, the combination comprising a needle cylinder having tricks, said cylinder being stepped in external diameter so as to have a smaller diameter at one end portion than at an intermediate portion and has its tricks in the smaller diameter portion of normal depth and the bottoms ofsaid tricks continued uninterruptedly into said intermediate portion to form therein trick portions of substantial depth, and said needle cylinder being adapted to receive jacks for needle selection in addition to the needles and the deeper portions of the cylinder tricks having their bottom walls stepped outwardly to normal trick depth between the region of the needle cams and the region at which said jacks are received, and needle carrying members slidable in said tricks and having a width at the needle carrying end-substantially equal to the normal trick depth and a greater width at a portion displaced from the needle carrying end substantially equal to the trick depth in said intermediate cylinder portion, said members each having at least one operating butt projecting outwardly from the wider portion, the increase in width of the members occurring at a position such that over the whole range of their operative movement their wider portions are contained in the portions of the tricks that are formed in said intermediate cylinder portion.

2. In a. circular knitting machine, the combination comprising opposed needle cylinders each having needle tricks, means mounting said cylinders co axially for rotation in unison with their tricks in alignment, needle sliders mounted in the. tricks of said cylinders, and double ended needles co-operating with said sliders, said cylinders being 7 each stepped in outside diameter to cause them to be of smaller diameter at their end portions adjacent to one another and of larger diameter, at portions removed from said end portions, the tricks of said cylinders having their bottoms continued uninterruptedly andparallel to the cylinder axis through the portions of the cylinders of different diameters, and said needle sliders being correspondingly stepped in width so that their needle receiving ends are of .the same width as the depth of the tricks at the cylinder end portions and their stems are of greater width corresponding to the trick depth at the cylinder portions of greater diameter. a

References Cited the fileof this patent Needham' Nov. 23, 1943 

